Toggle-controlled plier-type wrench



y 1956 G. J. STEINE 2,752,812

TOGGLE-CONTROLLED PLIER-TYPE WRENCH Filed Feb. 25. 1955 flu 76L- United States Patent Ofiice Patented July 3, 1956 2,752,812 TOGGLE-CONTROLLED PLIER-TYPE WRENCH George J. Steine, Glencoe, Ill. Application February 25, 1955, Serial No. 490,457 2 Claims. (Cl. 81-186) My invention relates to improvements in wrenches and pliers.

Many wrenches and pliers, such as those of the toggle action type, include parts fabricated from sheet metal stampings with at least one of the lever handles formed into a channel section and a fixed jaw, formed as by forging or machining, riveted or welded to an end of the channel section. This type of construction is generally rugged and intended for relatively severe service conditions, and accordingly is relatively expensive to manufacture. I have observed that many service requirements may be satisfactorily handled with similar tools of less rugged construction, particularly pliers and wrenches of relatively small size.

A wrench or pliers embodying the improvements which constitute the subject-matter of my invention eliminates the use of a forged or machined jaw and other fabricating operations incident to the manufacture of conventional tools of the type under consideration.

It is therefore an object of my invention to provide a wrench or pliers in which the end of the channel section lever handle is itself formed into a jaw, thereby eliminating the use of an additional element which heretofore functioned as a jaw.

Another object of my invention is the provision of a tool which may be more economically constructed that corresponding conventional tools.

Other and further objects and advantages of my invention will become apparent from the following description when considered in connection with the accompanying drawings, in which- Fig. 1 is a top plan view of a wrench or pliers in accordance with my invention;

Fig. 2 is an elevational view thereof with certain parts broken away to illustrate details of construction;

Fig. 3 is a cross-sectional view on an enlarged scale, taken on line 3-3 of Fig. 2;

Fig. 4 is a cross-sectional view taken on line 4-4 of Fig. 2;

Fig. 5 Fig. 4;

Fig. 6 is a cross-sectional view showing a modified embodiment of the jaw structure; and

Fig. 7 is a cross-sectional view showing another modified embodiment of the jaw structure.

The general construction of the tool follows the showing in co-pending application Ser. No. 252,249, filed October 20, 1951, now Patent No. 2,705,899, issued April 12, 1955, in that it comprises a stationary handle 10 and a relatively movable handle 11 both more or less hollow channel or U-shape in cross-section and arranged in confronting relation. A movable jaw 12 is pivoted to the stationary handle, as at 13, and is pivotally connected to the movable handle 11, as at 14. A coiled tension spring 16 hooked at one end, as at 17, to the stationary handle 10 has its other or forward end connected to an aperture 18 in the movable jaw.

is a cross-sectional view taken on line 55 of The spring tends to resiliently pull the movable jaw away from the stationary jaw 14, which will be hereinafter described.

Within the stationary hollow handle 10 is a lever 21 cooperating with the movable handle 11 to form a pair of toggle levers. The lever 21 normally extends at an angle between the handles 10 and 11, with its opposite ends positioned respectively within the channels of the two handles, its forward end being transversely pivoted. as at 22 to the movable handle 11, and its opposite end being transversely pivoted to the inner end of an adjusting screw 23 provided with a swivel fitting 24, the screw being axially movable in the outer end of the handle 10 which is made tubular for a short distance adjacent the end thereof. One of the features of the invention is particularly concerned with the provision of a jaw 19 at the end of the stationary handle 10 in confronting relation to the movable jaw. According to well known practices heretofore employed, a jaw element in the form of a forging or machined part was inserted into the channel end of the handle 10 and welded or riveted therein to effect positive securement. According to my invention, I eliminate the use of an additional part comprising the jaw and form the end of the stationary handle into a jaw 19. The same is accomplished by slitting the end portion of the channel section 10 inwardly for a short distance as at 26. As illustrated in Fig. l, the slit 26 extends inwardly from the end of the channel section 10 for a distance corresponding substantially to the length of a jaw. The vertical wall portions 27 of the forward portion of the channel sec tion are then pressed together in juxtaposition, as illustrated in Fig. 1, and secured as by a rivet 30. In the modified embodiment illustrated in Fig. 6 the wall portions are welded together. A series of serrations 28 are provided on the face of the jaw portion 19, which may then be heat-treated in order to harden the jaw surface.

In the modified embodiment illustrated in Fig. 7, a metal insert 29 is interposed between the vertical wall portions 270 of the jaw to afford a greater transverse width than in the first described embodiment. This structure provides a three-ply jaw, the several plies of which may be secured together as by a rivet or by welding.

Heretofore, in prior constructions such as described in the aforementioned patent application, a threaded bushing for receiving the adjusting screw was welded into the tubular end portion of the stationary handle. However, in accordance with a feature of the present invention, I provide a threaded bushing 31 having longitudinal serrations on its periphery. The said bushing is inserted in the rear tubular portion 32 of the handle 10, and the said tubular portion is then pressed against the bushing so that the serrations bite into the inner wall of the tubular portion, effecting locking engagement therewith. Additionally, the end portion of the handle is bent inwardly slightly, in the manner illustrated in Fig. 5, to further prevent endwise movement of the bushing relative to the tubular portion. As a result of this construction a welding operation, which would be otherwise required, is entirely eliminated.

Various changes and modifications coming within the spirit of my invention will doubtless suggest themselves to those skilled in the art. Hence, I do not wish to be limited to the specific form shown or uses mentioned.

I claim:

1. In a wrench of the class described, an elongated handle lever generally U-shaped in cross-section and having an integral jaw at one end, said jaw comprising a forward extension of said handle level, said forward 3 extension being slitted medially longitudinally with the parallel walls of said extension being in juxtaposition and secured together and with the inner edges of said walls afiording a work-engaging face.

2. In a wrench of the class described, an elongated handle lever generally U-shaped in cross-section and having an integral jaw at one end, said jaw comprising a forward extension of said handle lever, said forward extension being slitted medially longitudinally with the parallel walls of said forward extension being offset inwardly from the planes of the respective walls of the handle lever and secured together in abutting relation,

the inner edges of said forward extension aflording a work-engaging face- References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,477,335 Isele July 26, 1949 2,489,895 Kash Nov. 29, 1949 2,576,286 Eisenberg Nov. 27, 1951 2,592,803 Heim Apr. 15, 1952 2,595,579 Hawkins May 6, 1952 2,643,567 Johnson June 30, 1953 2,705,899 Berger Apr. 12, 1955 

